Practice, Patience and Sourdough Bread (Thinking Out Loud about Writing)

SOURDOUGH BREAD is amazingly delicious. You can eat it toasted, slathered with butter and drizzled with honey, or in the form of a bread bowl filled with your favorite chowder…it’s just YUM!

What’s even more scrumptious?

Home-made sourdough bread.

It’s not just the taste. It’s the aroma of baking bread filling the house. It’s the sense of accomplishment. It’s knowing that you made something not only good to eat, but BEAUTIFUL with your own two hands.

I’d wanted to try my hand at baking sourdough before “cottage-core” and bread making was trendy, BUT I was intimidated by the recipes I read. They seemed to contain so many steps PLUS they involved ratios AND chemistry. I didn’t have to read very far before my brain shut down and I gave up before even trying…

(Hindsight: If I had persevered, I probably would have seen the recipes weren’t as difficult as I thought at first glance.)

A few months ago, my mom and I took a Sourdough 101 class presented by ChillSpice and learned that, yes, sourdough bread is a science, but if you can get the basics down, you can practice your way to creating your own amazingly delicious loaf. All you need is a starter, which is a mixture of flour and water, more flour, more water, a bit of salt, and a LOT of patience.

Patience to activate the starter. Patience to mix the dough. Patience to let the dough rise. Patience to allow it to bake. Patience to allow the bread to rest before slicing. And, most importantly, patience with yourself as you learn the process.

Each step leads to a well-made and delicious end product.

The process of writing is similar (though with more wiggle-room, to be sure).

Let’s say the starter is your idea. The additional flour and water are your outline and research. Salt is your golden thread tying together your main idea. Drafts are your rising and baking. And the golden loaf is your finished piece ready to be consumed by hungry readers.

Each step has its place and purpose. The exact methods differ from writer to writer, just like sourdough recipes can vary from baker to baker, but the essential steps remain the same.

Both good sourdough and good writing take practice and patience. So, just start, even if you’re afraid. With each attempt you’ll learn, grow, and be steps closer to creating something wonderful!

Yesterday's batch. We're still learning, but the process is delicious!